Though Apple refrained from offering a specific release date when it announced its totally wireless Airpods at its iPhone 7 announcement event in September, its tentative “late October” has slipped.

In response to a TechCrunch query asking why we hadn’t heard from the Airpods yet with just a few days left in October, Apple responded with the following:

“The early response to AirPods has been incredible. We don’t believe in shipping a product before it’s ready, and we need a little more time before AirPods are ready for our customers.”

Users, particularly those with the new iPhone 7 which doesn’t have a standard 3.5mm headphone jack might be disappointed to hear they’ll have to wait a little longer, but credit can be given to Apple for not wanting to rush what it believes could be a revolutionary product.

Initial response to the AirPods has been relatively positive, with most noting the ease of pairing, which can be done simply by opening the custom-made casing that houses Apple’s new earbuds. The buds are charged via this casing, and though the headphones themselves hold five hours of changes, the combined charge held by the casing adds up to a total 24 hours of battery life – far ahead of most competitors. They can also simultaneously connect with an iPhone, Apple Watch and iPad.

When the AirPods do finally see release, they’ll be priced at $159.

Much was made of the headphones’ W1 chip, which allows great pairing quality and Siri support. However, despite the AirPods delay, Apple has pushed on with other wireless headphones with the chip – the Powerbeats3 from Apple’s Beats brand. These headphones don’t have the special case, so hold only 12 hours of charge (still impressive for wireless buds) but focus on premium sound quality over Apple’s AirPods. Those are available now priced at $199.95 direct from Apple.

Check out the new AirPods in Apple’s introductory video below:

Apple delays release of Totally Wireless Airpods. “Late October” date slips: https://t.co/OaSIa3MgOo pic.twitter.com/uXOVAkubyg

— TapSmart (@TapSmart) October 27, 2016